Salvatore Sacca (pictured above) is the general manager/owner of Da’Salvatore, which specialises in the production of unique high-quality lines such as cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers and heirlooms. VegNET – South Australia Regional Development Officer Yanyu Liang speaks to Salvatore about his family-run operation and participation in the business health check assessments that have been facilitated by AUSVEG SA.

Can you please tell us about your operation?

I currently run the farm with my family, and my role is the general business manager and horticulture specialist. I grow quality lines that are not in the everyday market. The varieties I exclusively grow are breeds from across the world, such as Europe, America and the Middle East. These varieties exhibit different tastes, flavours and colours, which allow me to be unique in the market. My main focus is to bring high quality and good service to all my customers, which is the key to running a successful business.

How long have you been involved in the horticulture industry?

I’m very new to the industry – I have only been involved in horticulture for 10 months. Despite the short timeframe in which I’ve been involved, I’ve made many connections and friends within the industry. I’m here to assist anyone that needs my support as I want to see the industry move in a positive direction.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the short time you’ve been involved in vegetable production?

As a grower, I can label a million types of challenges I deal with daily that either relate to growing or the business. That’s the life of farming; however, I enjoy the thrill as there is always something different to do every day.

Regarding the biggest challenges, I have thousands of ideas that I want to execute by tomorrow. However, the crops that I specialise in growing to take more than nine months to finish!

Trying to maintain a healthy balanced crop during that timeframe can be very stressful, but extremely rewarding once complete. Random factors such as harsh weather or drought can also be a huge hurdle to overcome as you’re never fully prepared for what the world is going to throw at you.

However, I see all these challenges as a growing aspect for myself and the business. Every challenge that I face and complete builds my character and business for the better.

Are there any tips or advice you’d give to other young growers who face stressful situations in their day-to-day farming operations?

What I recommend is to try your best to relax and calmly assess the situation. Figure out what’s the best plan of action to take on the problem.

Patience is key in this industry – don’t make rash/risky decisions based on the dollars you hear or see. Note that operating a farm is operating a business, there are days where you will be successful and there are days where you won’t be.

Focus on doing the most important tasks to improve the quality of your crop, and don’t worry about the dollar signs. You will make mistakes and it will be stressful/emotional, but you can learn from them! Make it construct who you are and know that you will do better next time with hard work and dedication.

Recently, you were involved in a Hort Innovation-funded project through AUSVEG SA that required undertaking a business health check program. What were your thoughts and impressions as a result of being involved in the project?

Currently my business is in a very healthy state. However, I still have so many ideas I want to implement in order to grow and expand. All these ideas were contained in my head and never properly consulted with an expert. Getting all my ideas on paper and discussing them with a professional allowed me to have a clearer understanding of those goals I need to achieve in the future.

The business health check program outlines all the strengths and weaknesses within the business. I see that a lot of growers around me need the aspect of running a successful business in order to survive in the industry. The AUSVEG SA business health check program is a great solution for helping farmers with their businesses.

I’d like to also thank VegNET SA, AUSVEG SA and Hort Innovation for giving me the opportunity for a business health check and a Q&A on my opinion for the future of the industry.

Many thanks to Yanyu Liang (VegNET SA), Jordan Brooke-Barnett (AUSVEG SA), and Jay Cummins (Hort Innovation).

Acknowledgements

VegNET 3.0 is a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.

Project Number: VG21000